Farmland is increasingly attractive for non-food uses like energy production, non-food crops and population growth. But, the demand for food is increasing, which means that crops like corn, wheat and soybeans must be especially efficient in order to meet demand using less land. In this environment, droughts have a devastating impact on farmers, crop yields, and the ability of people to feed their families. Farms can go out of business because crop yields are too low to cover expenses, livestock herds can die, and low crop yields leads to higher feed costs and higher food and milk prices.
Additionally, the demand for farmland has led to an interest in converting previously unattractive land into farmland, including dry land in arid environments and land that is not as nutrient-dense as premium farmland.
It is against this background that the present disclosure is made.